Light-sensitive material processing apparatus

Abstract

There is provided a light-sensitive material processing apparatus comprising a development section having processing baths including a development bath, a fixing bath and washing baths, a drying section and a sorter section, wherein at least one of the processing baths is a pan-shaped horizontal processing bath with its upper surface opened that is disposed at a horizontal position, transports light-sensitive materials in processing solutions in the processing baths in a horizontal direction and can be drawn out in a horizontal direction which is parallel with or normal to the transport direction of the light-sensitive materials. The processing baths can be handled at ease and a space occupied by the apparatus can be reduced. Maintenance such as the cleaning, repair, replacement of the respective processing baths and the transport mechanism racks becomes also unnecessary. As a result, prints of high quality can be finished at all times.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A light-sensitive material processing apparatus comprising: a development section having a plurality of processing baths including a development bath for subjecting exposed light-sensitive materials to color development processing, a fixing bath for subjecting the color developed light-sensitive materials to bleach-fix processing and washing baths for washing the bleached and fixed light-sensitive materials;   a drying section for drying the developed, fixed and washed light-sensitive material; and   a sorter section for arranging and accumulating the dried light-sensitive materials;   wherein at least one of the processing baths including the development bath, the fixing bath and the washing baths which constitute the development section is a pan-shaped horizontal processing bath with its upper surface opened that is disposed at a horizontal position, transports the light-sensitive materials in the processing solutions in the processing baths in a horizontal direction and can be drawn out in a horizontal direction which is parallel with or normal to the transport direction of the light-sensitive materials.   
     
     
       2. The light-sensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal processing bath includes a transport mechanism for transporting the light-sensitive materials in the horizontal direction and the transport mechanism can be drawn out together with said horizontal processing bath and taken out upward from the upper side of said horizontal processing bath opened therefrom. 
     
     
       3. The light-sensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said horizontal processing baths are disposed in a staggered arrangement by being stacked on top of each other so that the ends thereof alternately project in a light-sensitive material transport direction. 
     
     
       4. The light-sensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal processing bath has a lid member removably disposed on the open upper surface thereof to prevent the leakage of the processing solution. 
     
     
       5. The light-sensitive material processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the development bath and the fixing bath of said horizontal processing baths is a horizontal processing bath cartridge including a transport mechanism for horizontally transporting the light-sensitive material and a processing solution each contained in said horizontal processing bath, a lid member disposed on the upper surface of said horizontal processing bath for sealing said horizontal processing bath in a liquid tight state except a light-sensitive material inlet port and a light-sensitive material outlet port which are disposed in the vicinities of both the sides of said horizontal processing bath in the light-sensitive material transport direction and liquid tight opening/closing lids which are opened only when they are loaded at preset positions of the light-sensitive material processing apparatus or the light-sensitive material is transported in or transported out.